study advice

Hello pharmacy community, I have decided that I want to pursue becoming BCCCP (critical care) certified. I am planning on taking the exam late spring or fall 2026. For some background on myself and my education, I did not do residency. I have worked in hospital pharmacy in level 1 trauma...

First off I wanted to acknowledge that I have seen the other threads by students who have asked similar questions with regards to improving their study methods. I have also consulted with many of my peers, who are performing at the top of the class, the academic advising department at my...

For those of you that have ADHD, have you found that it was more effective to go through one book at a time all the way through or to rotate/alternate between books every day (do one day chem, one day physics, etc.)? Trying to figure out the best (and avoid the worst) approach to these books...

Hi all. All my life I’ve been a very average person compared to my friends and family. I had horrible study habits in high school and college that consisted of cramming and forgetting. I really liked reading textbooks and highlighting but nothing really stuck in my head, as evidenced by my GPA...

Pretty much the title, I had heard about Zach Highley’s study method of pairing Boards and Beyond with Anking and was curious if anybody has tried something similar? Practice questions saved my life on the MCAT so I wanna try it for the preclinical years. For reference we start with Biochem then...

Not just for medical school (but obviously that is a major focus to learn enough of the content to do well), but for other subjects and language learning. ANKI is promoted as an active study method, but what are the most proven techniques to learn and retain the most information with the...

Hello, I am coming back to the fold after a ten year hiatus. I successfully repeated a few pre-reqs to replace some C's with A's. I have been prepping with Kaplan and Dr. Collins books for the PCAT since June. I did not realize the PCAT was being retired until recently, so I now plan to take...

Hi everybody I'm sure you guys see plenty of posts like this, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask this question here. Essentially, I got a 508 (128/126/128/126) on my MCAT (this was my first time taking it). As a summary of how I studied (I went through all the Kaplans): In regards to cp...

I did very mediocre my first year (lots of C's) and I'm realizing I didn't retain much. Is it worth starting Anking now??? Or is too late? I'm looking at the number of cards there are (over 40k) and I have no idea how I'm going to all of this in and finish by like April of next year. Are there...

Hey Y'all, I am in my final semester of basic sciences and I have always had a hard time with pharmacology. Please drop any tips you have to tackle pharm.

Background My preclinical was P/F, but I was academically not performing at the same level as my peers, which made studying for Step 1 was a nightmare. I was consistently scoring about 72-75% on my exams, with 70% needing to pass. That put me at the 23rd percentile compared to my peers. My...

Hi everyone, As someone who has been out of school for a few years, I'm trying to form a study plan. I know this will change once I start but I wanted to get some input from current/former medical students. I'll be attending KCUCOM in the Fall. Besides the class lectures, what other resources...

What is the best medical youtube channels for the following subjects: Biochemistry Anatomy Histology Physiology Pahrmacology Pathology Thank you so much for the help :) Edit: it is not necessary to be a youtube channel .any source that makes medicine subjects easier to study is more than good...

Hello, im a PY1 who just started pharmacy school back in august. I have dealt with ADHD my entire life and had done well in school. I take medication for it of course but it isn't a magic pill where im all of the sudden rain man (im sure most of you all know lol). Anyways I regularly attend...

Hello, I’m a new member here so here’s a little background on me. I’m fresh out of highschool and a freshmen in college as a Psychology major. I’m taking all online classes so I can balance school, work, and my relationships. My career goal is to become a clinical psychologist. I’m really stuck...

Incoming OMS-1 here. I have been researching a variety of study strategies and tools in preparation for the start of school and have been reflecting on my experience studying for the MCAT, as that is the closest experience I have of studying a crazy amount for an extended period of time. One...

This blog post is an excerpt from The Med School Survival Kit: How to Breeze Through Medical School While Crushing Your Exams by Dr. Wendell Cole. Some people have their schedules set and may not need to read this post, but this may help some of you, so here we go! ___ The MVP of questions...

I'm a nontrad med student (MS4) who just applied into General Surgery. I have a few months off between my graduation and July 1 and really need some advice on what resources I should use to keep my medical knowledge current before starting internship. A lot of residents say things along the...

I've been studying like mad for the MCAT as one does and at the end of every day I feel as though I haven't learned a thing. Has anybody ever felt the same way? Surely I have to be learning stuff but it's hard to tell how effective my studying is.

Hi SDN, I've decided to push my MCAT back to March. My latest score was a 505 (127/125/128/125) on AAMC FL2 and I'm really hoping for a 515+. I've completed the SB's (BB: 59%, CP: 68%, PS: 64%) and UW (50-55% on each section). I'm planning on doing the Q-Packs, then re-doing UW and the SB's...

Hello everyone, I am a new member here on a student Doctor network. I’m happy I found this website because over the last few days, I’ve been gaining more confidence to continue pursuing my passion to become a doctor. I’d like to share my academic background before I share my first MCAT...

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I'm finishing up my first semester and looking over the schedule for second semester, I am slightly terrified because of how much is going on in one day. It's not necessarily the amount of material, but more so seeing 7-8 lectures scheduled in one day. This past semester, we mainly had...

What is a good number of full length exams to take? How many did you take and which ones? Kaplan? ADA? Were any of your full lengths DAT exams? How accurate are the Princeton OAT exams? Thanks!

Hello! Anyone need a study buddy?

Hi i'm writing the OAT on September 7th, so far i've only studied 3 chapters of the QR section. I'm having a very hard time studying for this exam because all throughout my undergrad i've been used to cramming for exams two or three nights before which I know won't work for this exam. For those...

I am currently a rising senior undergrad (will be taking a gap year after college, aka applying in 2019). I was planning on taking my MCAT in early September, however, I am worried that I will not be prepared enough. I have been studying this summer, but due to some unforeseen circumstances have...

Hi SDN people, I graduated from a US allopathic school in 2015, took several years off to focus on creative endeavors, and am currently in the process of returning to the medical field. This will be my first time applying for a residency, and would appreciate any advice or resource...

I have tried to take the NC Jurisprudence Test twice now and I’ve failed it both times with a score of 19, and I need 20 to pass. I only have 1 attempt at the test left. I’ve read the laws and info they sent me to study but answers to certain questions are no where to be found on any website...

Hey guys! I know there are a lot of Facebook groups already in place to help us. HOWEVER, you can never have to many resources. Please join my group, "The One Where We Get Into Dental School," I would love to see my group grow with people whom share the same interest. Let me just say, I...

Hey Guys!! I will be taking the DAT in May. I am just about to start with DAT Bootcamp, and I was wondering if anybody is eager to form a study group through Whatsapp? Or use another outlet in order to prepare for the exam. I am pretty comfortable with the biology section however I need to...

As an aspiring doctor, you have a lot on your plate. Upgrading your study skills now can help you learn to be more efficient about how you study, save you time, help you improve your grades, and allow you to establish the skills that will see you through medical school. These strategies can make...

There is constantly new information being added and yet its necessary to review old material. I find that as med school progresses, it gets more difficult to achieve balance since there is always more info added to the pile that needs to be reviewed. For example, I'm doing "Interpreting EKGs"...

Ok, so I'm just wondering how yall are studying week to week/ for exams/ overall? I won't start medical school until the summer of 2018 BUT I'm just reaching out early and looking for some tricks of the trade so I don't get my s-h-i-t rocked the first few weeks. Also, does anyone have tips for...

你好! Hi all, this is my first post on SDN! I've been lurking on this site for ages, and I wanted to finally go ahead and make a post for once! I'm a US-IMG, studied in China 6 years, and graduated recently. (it was very affordable and in English) Problem is, my school didn't really hammer...

Hi all, Vasovagal syncope is usually associated to sight of blood, but I was wondering whether anyone experience this while studying? I noticed that when I would begin studying, after say 15 to 20 minutes, I would lose the ability to concentrate. I would be able to read but not process...

Hey Guys, I am a first year medical student and I just started my fourth week of medical school. The curriculum just changed this year where we have weekly take home timed quizzes that we can take anytime Friday through Sunday at noon. Even though it is my fourth week, I am still at odds on the...

Hey guys, so I am taking the DAT in about 2 1/2 weeks. At this point, I think I have a good idea of my weakest areas, and want to spend my remaining time focusing on them. I am doing Ari's 10-week study schedule, and am in the phase where I am doing timed problem sets. My predicament is that I...

Hello! So I recently graduated this past May and originally planned to take the MCAT earlier in the summer so I could apply during this cycle, but I ended up deciding to take two gap years instead of one and will be applying next summer. I have been obligated with research commitments for the...

So I am starting to study for the MCAT early on. But I am stuck on how I should study. I bought the 7 subject Kaplan books, which are amazing, but I am not sure if I should take notes on them while studying or just read through it. So I just wanted to know how you guys studied for the MCAT...